Coal River Mountain is one of the last mountains left intact in the beautiful Coal River Valley of West Virginia. However, Massey Energy has plans to mine 6,000 acres of the mountain – or almost 10 square miles via mountaintop Removal. The proposed mining would bury over 20 miles of streams with valley fills, contaminate local water resources, put local communities in further danger of flash floods, and completely eliminate the available wind resource.

Fortunately, there is an alternative to mountaintop removal mining on Coal River Mountain -wind power. This is a unique opportunity to move our nation and the state of West Virginia toward the production of clean energy, and to preserve God’s creation for generations to come. The Christian community has become increasingly vocal in the biblical call of environmental stewardship and thereby very supportive of alternative energy resources. (for more info go to www.coalriverwind.org) But we have to act quickly! Recently a permit has been issued which means Massey could begin blasting at any time and the wind project is in danger.

On Tuesday, December 9th, Coal River Mountain Watch is holding two press conferences. The more supporters present at the conferences, the more successful they will be!

Press Conferences are scheduled for:

1:30 p.m., Beckley, WV at The Tamarack in the Atrium Dining Room

4:30 p.m., Charleston, WV at the Capitol building in the Governor’s Conference Room

A coalition between Christians for the Mountains and Restoring Eden: Christians for Environmental Stewardship has formed and initiated a campaign to support the wind project. Representatives from both organizations will be present at both press conferences and will present Gov. Manchin with a letter stating our support as Christians for the wind project.

Tell WV Gov. Manchin that it is important to your faith and the people of southern WV that he halt the destruction Coal River Mountain and support the Coal River Wind Project.I also urge you to contact Gov. Manchin yourself and tell him your concerns.
CALL Gov. Manchin TODAY at: 1-888-438-2731 or send an email to Governor@WVGov.org

The DEP has approved one of the permits for Coal River Mountain and blasting could begin at any time. This would mean that Coal River Wind Project would be in jeopardy and we would lose a great opportunity to create sustainable jobs, clean energy, and a model for much needed sustainable economic development in the region.

Take action to protect Coal River Mountain and the Wind Project:

PRAY for Coal River Mountain, the Coal River Mountain Wind Project, and all the people that would be affected by this decision to begin blasting

CALL WV Governor Joe Manchin or send him an email and let him know that he has the power to do the right thing and halt the destruction of Coal River Mountain. Tell him to act on his commitment to renewable energy and that by not taking action on this issue, permanent well-paying jobs, clean energy, and an excellent model for a sustainable future will also be destroyed with the mountain.

SHARE this information with your friends, family, and church. Tell them to take action on this important issue and let them know that we can use God’s creation to benefit the region (through clean energy, permanent jobs, and a preserved heritage) in way that is not harmful and is respectful of what God has given us to care for and tend to.

What a way to say Happy Thanksgiving West Virginia! The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has approved Massey Energy’s revision of one of the mountaintop removal coal mining permits for Coal River Mountain.

That means Massey Energy may begin blasting at any time – but only on a small potion of the mountain, so far. Governor Manchin can still stop Massey Energy from ruining Coal River Mountain’s wind energy potential.

In September, your calls and e-mails helped stall the blasting. The Governor has yet to heed the thousands of calls and e-mails he received calling for a “stay of execution” for Coal River Mountain. If he doesn’t act soon, then the clean wind and permanent, safe jobs potential of Coal River Mountain will be in jeopardy.

— Mountaintop Removal at Coal River Mountain would destroy all of the wonderful potential of the wind project.

— Wind is the better economic option for Coal River Mountain, but that depends on the mountain being left intact. Coal River Mountain has enough wind potential to provide electricity for between 100,000 and 150,000 homes, forever, while creating approximately 50 well-paying, permanent jobs in an area long dependent upon sparse, temporary coal mining jobs.

— The wind farm would also generate over ten times more county revenue than the mountaintop removal operation would, and this money could be used to stimulate further economic development and to create new, lasting jobs for county residents.

— The DEP has repeatedly denied citizens’ requests for public hearings related to the proposed mining.

— Community members are again asking Governor Joe Manchin to halt the operation and act on his commitment to renewable energy and to the citizens of West Virginia.

The last post dealt with Massey’s fast-tracked plans to demolish Coal River Mountain which would destroy the possibility of harnessing clean energy, creation of sustainable jobs, vast quantities of ginseng, and Appalachian Mountain heritage. Below is a message from the Coal River Wind Team that discusses the current situation of the permits and a call to action to let West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin know that you want to save Coal River Mountain for wind power and the various opportunities that this new endeavor would open up.

Hey folks,

We wanted to let you know that Coal River Mountain has survived another day! Due to the fact that Massey coal company had not obtained the required permits, they were prevented from starting the blasting yesterday from a legal standpoint. However, it was your calls and emails to Governor Manchin that pressured him into sending his own team of inspectors down to the mine site to make sure they didn’t blast. So for the residents of the Coal River Valley, and for the future of West Virginia, we wanted to say THANK YOU!!

Since Tuesday morning, nearly 2,500 of you have emailed the Governor, and the emails are still going through at a steady pace. From what we can tell, the Governor also received hundreds of calls, and about 600 of you signed our petition (if you didn’t do so, please sign the petition). This was a great push, and the pressure on the governor is vital to winning this campaign and bringing wind power to southern West Virginia. He now knows that people all over West Virginia and all over the nation are watching to see if he’ll let Coal River Mountain – and the potential for clean energy development in an economically depressed, coal-dependent area – be destroyed for only 14 years of coal mining, or if he’ll do the right thing and rescind the permits altogether. He may have helped stop the blasting, but he only did so for legal reasons, and you can bet that Massey is pushing hard to get the required blasting and mining permits, so We Still Need Your Help!!

Can you forward this email to at least 5 friends, asking them to help save Coal River Mountain for wind power? We need to ramp up the pressure, and keep the calls and emails coming in, for once Massey gets those permits, only Governor Manchin can take them away.

Also, if you are in the area, come join us on September 16th as we celebrate the opportunity that exists here on Coal River Mountain, as well as all over West Virginia, to transition away from a heavy dependence on coal and toward a cleaner, greener energy and economic future. We’ll be holding a “Rally for Green Jobs and Healthy Mountains” on the steps of the State Capitol building in Charleston, WV from 5:00-6:30pm, and we would love to have all of you there if you can make it. Pass the word around, because the more people that attend, the louder our message will be, and Governor Manchin will hear it ringing through the halls of the Capitol.

Thank you for all of your support, and for helping save Coal River Mountain for a little while longer.

Our friends at Coal River Mountain Watch and CLEAN (Citizens Lead for Energy Action Now) have alerted us that Richmond, Virginia based Massey Energy has fast-tracked plans to start mountain top removal on Coal River Mountain and blasting could occur as early as tomorrow (Wednesday, September 10). The Coal River Wind Farm is the proposed alternative to destroying the mountain. This project would provide sustainable jobs, preserve heritage, and play an important role in advocating for clean, renewable energy. The Coal River Wind Farm would also still allow for underground mining to occur while the wind is being harnessed.

Take action! Once the destruction starts, it will be very hard to stop. West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin has expressed interest in supporting renewable energy. In White Sulphur Springs on Friday, Manchin claimed that he will push for renewable energy projects and that renewable energy will be the focus of the next State of the State speech. Let him know that you want the Coal River Wind Project to be given more consideration before the blasting occurs and that this is the opportunity that he should take to show that he is serious about clean, renewable energy.